Alterna Stade Poitevin: 3
Toulouse : 2
It was almost nonsense in this tight and homogeneous Marmara SpikeLigue. At the end of the first eight matches, Alterna Stade Poitevin was the only team in the championship not to have played a single tie-break. After this Friday, the thirteen clubs played at least one.
Because to achieve a second consecutive success after that won against Paris Volley (3-1), Dan Lewis's protégés had to fight for five sets against Spacer's from Toulouse.
By showing himself, in addition, stunning to ignite the 2,280 spectators of the Lawson-Body hall, facing the Haut-Garonnais unleashed during the first two sets, as shown by Nathan Feral, almost untouchable in attack and especially in service. which he used to change the end of the second round (21-21 then 21-24).
The balance of power has completely reversed
And as the young sharp inspired his teammates, the Alterna Stade Poitevin suffered too much in reception – even a player of the talent of Franco Massimino – to prevent the Spacers from taking off (19-25, 22-25). “It was difficult at the beginningadmitted Dan Lewis. We lacked consistency on the side-out and we weren't very efficient in block defense. Toulouse played very well, putting a lot of pressure on us in the service. But it's difficult to do that for an entire match and on our side, we found a little more discipline. But it didn't have to be much later. It was the maximum. » After the match, the Canadian coach could smile. What Earvin Ngapeth did not do during a good part of the meeting.
The black look, the double Olympic champion, back after having been preserved against Paris because of an inflammation in an adductor, was not innocent in the Poitevin comeback by sounding the revolt in the third set with two blocks and an ace to give his team a significant advantage (11-6).
And the sacrosanct service-reception balance of power was reversed, freeing the Stadistes to block and attack, like Dusan Nikolic in great difficulty at the start of the match before being more impactful at over the points (17 in total).
Match statistics.
© (Infographic NR-CP)
“He had a little trouble at the start, I asked myself the question of replacing him but I wanted to maintain my confidence in himexplained Dan Lewis. He came back showing that he was a fighter. » It was not the only one in a second part of the match that Thibaut Thoral, elected MVP, and his teammates largely dominated, despite the entries of Winkelmuller, Piazzetta, Picard or Duthoit on the Toulouse side (25-16, 25-20, 15- 9). By showing a better face. That of the winners.
